CJS Summer Film Series

[Kevin Alan Martin]

This is the list of films that the Center for Japanese Studies (University
of Michigan) will be presenting during our Free Summer Film Series.

As always, distributor information for these and over 140 other films can
be found on our "Japan On Film" website, located at:

http://www.umich.edu/~iinet/cjs/films/index.html

We try to keep the site up-to-date with the newest distributor
information, but if anyone notices any mistakes, please let us know.

Our Fall Series will begin on September 14 with a screening of Yamada
Yoji's "Tora-san's Sunrise & Sunset" (screened with assistance from The
Japan Foundation.)

Kudos to the list for the direct and indirect help you've given us and
many others.

Kevin Martin
Center for Japanese Studies
University of Michigan
http://www.umich.edu/~iinet/cjs/index.html

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"Speed, Greed, and Misdeeds: Fortune & Fate in Six Japanese Films"

July 14 - Adrenaline Drive - Adorenarin doraibu (1999) Dir. Yaguchi
Shinobu, 112 min., color.
A meek rental car clerk and an even more timid nurse are thrown together
in increasingly hilarious/dangerous situations as they end up on the run
with a suitcase full of money.  Fast, furious fun.  Japanese with English
Subtitles

July 21 - Welcome Back, Mr. McDonald - Rajio no jikan (1997), Dir. Koki
Mitani, 103 min., color 
When a director "caves in" and a radio actress gets a rewrite just before
her show is slated to hit the air, the rest of the cast decides to take
advantage of this newfound leverage.  Comedic chaos reigns.  Japanese with
English Subtitles

July 28 - Stray Dog - Nora inu (1949) Dir. Akira Kurosawa, 122 min., b&w
When a rookie detective (Toshiro Mifune) loses his pistol, a desperate
search through a seamy Tokyo underworld eventually leads to his gun and a
much more complicated view of his world.  Mature Audiences - Japanese with
English Subtitles

August 4 - The Yellow Handkerchief - Shiawase no kiiroi hankachi (1977)
Dir. Yoji Yamada, 90 min., color
A jilted boyfriend, a young girl, and an ex-con hook up "on the road" to
Hokkaido.  Delightful comedy amidst life's sorrows, this was Japan's top
film of 1977 and is an audience favorite.  Japanese with English
Subtitles.  Special thanks to The Japan Foundation for assistance in
screening this film.

August 11 - The Street Fighter - Gekitotsu! Satsujinken (1974) Dir.
Shigehiro Ozawa, 94 min., color
When the yakuza try to stiff a mercenary (Sonny Chiba) over a kidnapping
job, he doesn't take it kindly.  Not for the squeamish, this film was the
first in the US rated "X" for violent content.  Mature Audiences - Dubbed
in English

August 18 - After Life - Wandafuru raifu (1998) Dir. Hirokazu Kore-eda,
118 min, color
How would you create your own personal heaven?  What should remain when
all else ceases to exit?  A practical approach to a supernaturally
delicate story, an international award-winner that evokes emotion without
fake sentimentality.  Mature Audiences - Japanese with English Subtitles

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Beginning Friday, July 14th and continuing Friday nights through August
18th, these films will be shown admission free at 7:00 p.m. in the Lorch
Hall Auditorium on the Central Campus of the University of Michigan in Ann
Arbor.  Unless otherwise noted, all films are in Japanese with English
subtitles.

For additional information on the series, please visit
http://www.umich.edu/~iinet/cjs/events/film00s.html.